PSC Meeting 1

Also present at the meeting were HE Dr. Ngin Chhay, Royal Government of Cambodia Delegate in charge of the Director General of the General Directorate of Agriculture and Permanent Vice Chairperson of the PSC, HE Sy Ramony, Director General of the General Directorate of Local Communities of the Ministry of Environment, Miss Rebekah BELL, FAO Representative in Cambodia, Members of the PSC, and Representative of Implementing Partners, with a total of 29 members of the PMU (4 females).

The first PSC meeting was held to review the progress, challenges, and corrective actions in the project implementation strategy, discuss and address the challenges, as well as revise the project's action work plan and budget for 2024 (AWPB).

As a result of the meeting, the PSC and its members reached an agreement on the following key points:

1. Reviewing the possibility of changing or selecting new target communities and communes, and include Kampong Chhnang as an additional target province in six provinces around the Tonle Sap Lake.

2. Amendment of some action plans to meet the new policy framework priorities of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Ministry of Environment on the development of modern agricultural communities, cooperation and training of commune agricultural officers, which the government has been deploying in the target communes of the project to increase farmers' capacity for adaptation to climate change, smart farming techniques to promote rice production and purification of rice varieties, especially Romduol and Sen Kra Ob varieties. In particular, the Ministry of Environment focuses on work related to climate change, the environment, green development, and community livelihoods in protected areas.

3. Coordinating the acceleration of the budget flow for the implementation, the remaining staff recruitment, and examining the financial allocation for the purchase of additional office equipment.

4. Accelerating the signing of LoAs with the three implementing partners to carry out many specific project activities.

5. Finding more important co-financing sources to implement the PCRL project through other potential projects/partners.

At the end of the meeting, HE Dr. Yang Saing Koma and HE Dr. Ngin Chhay made some recommendations, especially on requesting a review of the PCRL AWPB 2024 and identifying key priority activities in response to the new policy of the Royal Government in the development of agriculture and the environment, especially about the development of modern agriculture cooperatives, rice production (certified rice varieties) and cooperation to support commune agriculture officials in the target communes of the project.